Elyse Cherry honored for her decades of LGBTQ+ activism in “Portraits of Pride” Exhibition on Display in Boston Common
BlueHub Capital is thrilled to announce the inclusion of its CEO, Elyse Cherry, in Portraits of Pride, a larger-than-life, public photography exhibition celebrating Boston’s LGBTQ+ leaders. The installation features 8-foot portraits of local LGBTQ+ leaders from a variety of backgrounds and industries, shot by world-renowned photographer John Huet (Vogue, Olympics, Nike), and curated by area LGBTQ advocate and community organizer Jean E. Dolin. It is on display throughout October on the Boston Common, with an additional installation at Gallery Wall of Seaport Square, to mark LGBT History Month.
This one-of-a-kind exhibit honors the rich history of Boston’s LGBTQ+ community and the many contributions the area’s LGBTQ+ leaders have made to the advancement of LGBTQ+ rights in Massachusetts and beyond. The exhibition showcases portraits of Massachusetts' top leaders in public service, entrepreneurship, business, law, and more, alongside a statement of what pride means to them. The exhibit also included written excerpts from honorees describing what pride means to them.
In her excerpt, Elyse recounts her journey coming out as a lesbian in the 1970s when homophobia was rampant. When Elyse came out, being queer was considered a crime and the future she is living today as a transformative leader in Boston business and politics seemed unattainable.
“Boston’s LGBTQ+ community has always been full of trailblazing minds and pioneering spirits. I am so honored to participate in and support ‘Portraits of Pride’ as we commemorate Boston’s rich LGBTQ+ history,” said Cherry. “Supporting communities that are too often ignored or left behind is central to my work leading BlueHub Capital and the Boston Foundation’s Advisory Committee for the Equality Fund. Once again, we are seeing LGBTQ+ rights under attack across our country. It’s important to showcase the many successes of our local LGBTQ+ community and bring our stories out of the margins and into the spotlight.”
Elyse is a staunch activist and a pioneering civic and business leader. She also serves on the Board of Directors of The Boston Foundation, where she co-chairs the Advisory Committee for The Equality Fund -- a fund supporting Greater Boston nonprofits that strengthen the LGBTQ community. She has previously served on the boards of directors and advisory boards of several advocacy organizations, including GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), and MassEquality during its successful campaign to legalize same-sex marriage in Massachusetts.
“Now more than ever, it is essential to tell the stories of LGBTQ+ people and celebrate how far we’ve come. ‘Portraits of Pride’ uplifts our community’s many, many achievements in an artistic, intentional, and public way,” said Dolin, the exhibit’s curator. “I am so proud to pay this tribute to my hometown and amplify the diverse, exceptional voices that make up Boston’s LGBTQ+ community. Massachusetts has consistently been setting the example of championing LGBTQ+ rights - not just for the country, but for the world - with many of those rights being the results of decades of hard work and advocacy. Through this exhibit, I want the public to get to know these champions and the collective history that exists in each of them.”
The full list of honorees whose portraits are featured are:
- Jonathan Allen, Leadership Brainery
- Michael Bobbitt, Mass Cultural Council
- Mary Bonauto, GLAD
- Shaplaie Brooks, Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth
- Beth Chandler, YW Boston
- Elyse Cherry, BlueHub Capital
- Alia Cusolito, Queer Youth Assemble
- Senator Julian Cyr, Massachusetts Legislature
- Charles Evans, LGBTQ Elders of Color
- John Ferguson, Webster Bank
- Paul Glass, LGBTQ Elders of Color
- Dominic Glaude, Independent Musician
- Arline Isaacson, Massachusetts GLBTQ Political Caucus
- Cheryl Katon, Fenway Health
- David Leonard, Boston Public Library
- Grace Moreno, Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Inc.
- Ashton Mota, Youth Activist
- Quincey J. Roberts Sr, The Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement
- Connor Schoen, Breaktime
- Grace Stowell, BAGLY, inc.
- Derrick Young, Leadership Brainery
Portraits of Pride in the News
- WGBH: 'We are real models. We're not role models': Portraits of Pride honors Boston's LGBTQ+ leaders
- Berkeley Beacon: Portraits of Pride intersects the past and future of LGBTQ history
- Boston Business Journal: Five things you need to know, and two photo exhibits by John Huet